Combined stool, ladder, high chair, and ironing board



S. 8. LANE Nov. 26, 1957 COMBINED STOOL, LADDER, HIGH CHAIR AND IRONING BOARD Filed April 6. 1954 IN VENTOR ATTORNEY United StatesPateht COMBINED STOOL, LADDER, nron CHAIR, AND IRONINGBOARD The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a utility stool for the home and conveniently combines in a sihgle unit, a stool, a ladder, a high chair and an ironing board.

One of the objects of the invention resides in the formation of a simple and inexpensive combination of the above items which are so arranged as to coact in the performance of their several functions.

Another object of the invention consists in providing such a combination of elements which is strong and durable in operation and relatively inexpensive in manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the combined stool, ladder, high chair and ironing board, with the latter in position for use as the back of a chair;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the combination;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the combination with the ironing board shown in operative position and the arms of the chair indicated in dotted outline; and,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the latching mechanism for maintaining the ironing board in horizontal position.

Referring to the drawing in more detail, the combination stool, ironing board, etc., is indicated generally by the numeral 1, and the stool is of the 4-legged type being provided with 4 of the upwardly inclined legs 2 which are bent slightly adjacent their upper ends as indicated by the numeral 3 so as to provide the vertical and parallel sections 4 for receiving the collapsible arms to be later described, and the legs are hollow or tubular for that purpose.

The legs 2 are maintained in their proper relationship by the horizontal braces 5 and the front of the stool is provided additionally with rungs or steps 6 in the usual manner of step ladders. The top of the stool or chair seat is preferably of rectangular form and is indicated by the numeral 7. This seat is provided with openings 8 at its 4 corners, which are in alignment with the upper ends of the tubular sections 4 of the legs 2 and slidably receive the downturned portions 9 of the two arms 10 of the high chair. Thus the arms may be vertically adjusted to varying heights or may be entirely removed when desired, the setscrews 11 mounted in the upper sec tions 4 of the legs being provided for clamping the arms at the various adjusted positions. A tray 12 may be detachably connected to the arms 10 by spring clips 13, and the underside of the seat portion 7 is provided with brackets 14 for removably supporting the tray 12 when 2 it is removed from the arms 10, as for instance, when the ironing board is to be used, or for any other reason.

The irouing board is indicated generally by the numeral 20 and is preferably formed of some light metal. The board is more orless tapered, as is usual in ironing boards. and its edges are downwardly curled to provide a circumscribing reinforcing bead 21; and transverse bars 22 may be secured to the underside of the board to further reinforce the body of the board. At the back, of the :seat portion 7 is provided a pair of hinge brackets-23which extend upwardly and rearwardly slightly above the top of the seat and serve to pivotally mount the ironing board as indicated by the hinge pintle 24. As will be noted, the wider portion of the ironing board extends above the seat portion 7 to provide a back for the stool or chair, and upholstered material 25 of any suitable type is fixedly secured to the underside of the ironing board at its upper end.

Inasmuch as the ironing board is to be swung into horizontal position when in use, the brackets 23 extend above the seat 7 a sufiicient distance to allow for positioning the upholstered end of the board on the seat when the ironing board is in its horizontal position. For supporting or bracing the board in its horizontal position a brace rod 26 is slidably and pivotally connected to the underside of the ironing board at its narrower or lower end. This pivotal and slidable connection is provided by means of the inverted U-shaped member 27 which is secured to the underside of the ironing board and has its leg portions provided with longitudinal slots 28 terminating in upturned portions 29 at their inner ends. The upper end of the brace rod 26 is formed with a transverse pin 30 which is slid-ably received in the slots 28. The lower end of the rod 26 is provided with a downturned hook portion 31 which is adapted to engage over the upper of the two rear rungs 5 of the stool when the ironing board is to be supported in its horizontal or operative position. A latch 32 is slidably mounted on the lower end of the rod 26 and is normally biased toward the hook 31 by coil spring 33 mounted in a recess in the lower end of the rod and abutting the rear end of the latch. The space between the end of the book 31 and the operative end of the latch 32 is normally less than the diameter of the brace rod 5 and serves to secure the rod against inadvertent detachment from the rod; a button 34 being secured to the latch for moving it rearwardly against the pressure of spring 33 when it is desired to detach the rod and swing the ironing board to its inoperative position. When not in use the rod 26 is held against the underside of the ironing board 20 by means of spring clips 35 and may be readily swung to that position through its slidable connection with the inverted U-shaped member 27. When the ironing board is positioned vertically to form a back for the chair, it may be held in that position by a pair of latches 36 which are pivotally mounted on one of the brace rods 5 at the rear of the chair.

With this novel and compact arrangement of parts it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have devised a rather simple and inexpensive construction of combined stool, ladder, high chair and ironing board which may be readily converted from one to the other and yet which is strong and durable in operation, not only as a high chair, stool, etc., but also as an ironing board of conventional size; and that the ironing board is securely and positively held in either of its two positions.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described what I have considered to be the preferred form of construction and arrangement, but since various minor changes may be made in structural details, it is intended that all such changes be included within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A combined high chair and ironing board comprising a plurality of legs, a seat portion secured to the tops of the legs, a pair of hinge brackets secured to the back edge of the seat portion and extending upwardly and rearward- 1y therefrom, a one-piece ironing board pi-votally' connected intermediate its ends to the upper ends of the hinge brackets whereby a space is provided between the seat and ironing board when the latter is swung to horizontal position, the upper end ofthe inner face of the ironing board being upholstered to a thickness corresponding to the depth of the space provided between the seat and ironing board, a one-piece brace rod having one end pivotally and slidably connected to the ironing board, and a latch on the free end of the brace member for securing the latter in its operative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

